Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-05-19
THE NORTHWEST
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON May 9th, 1885,

The event of the past week was the
visit to Washington of the Queen ofthe
Sandwich Islands and her suite. All
sorts of obsequious attentions were paid
to her majesty at the Capital of this
great Republic, for although Kapiolani
has the complexion of a mulatto and
the Egyptian cast of feature, she is
royal parsonage, and there is only one
way to treat visiting royalty, in this
country as well as in any other.
The Queen first called at the White
House, and her visit was returned by
Mrs. Cleveland and the ladies OF the
Cabinet in less than two hours, accord
ing to the royal etiquette. Then fol-
lowed q good deal of sightseeing
around the city under the pilotage of a
committee of reception, a dinner at the
Hawaiian Legation, review and parade
Of troops in her honor, a reception of
masons at her hotel (King Kalakaua,
the Queens husband, Is a member of
the fraternity a visit to the circus, an
other to the races. a trip to the tomb of
Washington on the U. s. Despatch es-
corted by an imposing company of
foreign Diplomats and representatives
of our own Government, and banquet
aC the Wnlte House. q 't- a.' +-
The conjunction of royalty and Demo-
cracy was especially interesting as pre-
sented at the State dinner. The Presi-
dent of nearly sixty millions offreemen
led out the queen consort, Kapiolani, of
little more than sixty-thousand people,
and sat at one end Of his official board
with the dusky hued Queen on his right
and the dusky princess accompanying
her on his left. For once, at least, since
the beginning of his Administration
Mr.. Cleveland found himself flanked by
two women who could not talk back to
him. Neither of them had sufficient
command of English for general con-
versation. At the other end of the
table sat Mrs. Cleveland and Minister
Carter, who represents the little king
dom in the Pacific ocean to this Gov
ernment. Mrs. Cleveland laughed gay
ly as she talked to her escort and was
evidently enjoying the Presidents
situation while she was concealed from
his view by large floral decoration in
the centre of the table.
The banquet was q most elaborate af-
fair and in perfection of every detail
was thought to excel any entertainment
given at the Executive Mansion during
Mr.. Cleveland's occupancy. The State
apartments were profusely decorated
with flowers among which the Hawaiian
colors were prominent, AMI the East
Room surpassed the occasion of the
Presidents wedding, not in number,
perhaps, but in the selection Of the
flowers used. ''-t top6 ~
When visiting the Treasury Depart
ment Kapiolani was taken down into
the subterranean vaults where the mon
ey is kept, and seemed to take deep
interest In the loads of gold and silver
stored away there. When told how
much money she stood in the midst of,
she was filled with wonder. She left
the Capital delighted with her visit,
and thinking that this is great peO-
pie, and that they have big Navy,
and immense dinners, and big taffy
mines and handsome Presidents wives.
But let it be said of Hawaiia's Queen
that Notwithstanding the fact that hers
is only little kingdom and that her
skin Is colOred brown, royalty of the
highest degree could not have deported
itself with more becoming lady-like
grace. than she exhibited during her
visit to Washington. She showed her
self to be a woman of good sense and
good manners. She was unobtrusive,
modest, self-poised, dignifed and even
stately. Not speaking English she was
at a disadvantage, but,she was intelli-
gent looking, and apparently quick
witted. j /I'.sg I'M
Probably the silliest Of all the silly
stories that have been told of Secretary
Lamar was that one to the effect that
he would not attend the State dinner
given to the Queen of the Sandwich
Islands on account of her color. Itseems
ridiculous to take time to contradict so
preposterous report, were it not for
the fact that some people might be just
silly enough to believe it. The Secre-
tary was confined to his house by sick
ness at the time, and his non-appear-
ance at the White House on the above
mentioned occasion wasattributable to
that cause alone.